The Faces to Remember Project

Ella Lucak Rogozinski, 91

Holocaust survivor, Auschwitz (A5674)

Ella was born to Frieda Mermelstein and Adolph Lucak on February 11th, 1927 in Svalava, Czechoslovakia. Adolph, a city official, married Frieda, who along with her family owned a mercantile business. The Lucak family had four children, Helen, Olga, Otto and Ella. Ella’s childhood was wonderful until the tragedy of World War II struck. Ella was first transported to the Kolomyja ghetto in 1941, a forced labor camp in Budapest from 1941-1944, and then to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944-45.

The death march to Bergen-Belsen followed from January to April, 1945. Ella was liberated April 17, 1945 along with her two surviving sisters and Aunt Lea. Her brother, Otto, her parents, and other family members did not survive. Ella married Jakob Rogozinski a few weeks after meeting in Germany. They moved to Israel to be with Jakob’s one surviving brother. They had two sons and then moved to Jacksonville to be with Ella’s sisters, where their third son was born. Jakob was a mechanic at Al Sager Volkswagon and Ella worked at Underwood’s Jewelers. They worked extremely hard to provide for their family.

Ella Rogozinski’s three sons work together and she has 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.